When you look for massage therapy and other bodywork treatments that are tailored to individuals that identify with the LGBTQ+ community, you will often find that the terms LGBTQ Friendly Bodywork and LGBTQ Bodywork are used synonymously. Nevertheless, there’s an important difference between the two, which we will discuss in this post.
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Now, LGBT Friendly Bodywork isn’t some special kind of treatment. It can consist of any type of bodywork or massage therapy such as Shiatsu, Swedish Massage, Yoga, Acupuncture, Fitness, Breathwork, Reflexology, Dance & Movement Therapy, and whatnot. In fact, the reason why the term “LGBTQ Friendly” is applied is that it emphasizes that a certain massage or bodywork establishment, practitioner, therapist, or teacher fully welcomes LGBTQIA+ individuals.
It means that LGBTQ+ folks can feel at home and respected, that the massage or bodywork provider stands for sexual and gender equality, diversity, and inclusivity, while using the correct pronouns to address a client, working with an approach of mutual consent and — when applicable — also includes visual and physical aspects like providing additional gender neutral bathrooms, gender neutral garments, and/or using appropriate draping.
In addition, the provider of LGBTQ Friendly Massage & Bodywork is likewise aware of possible emotional distress and trauma related issues with respect to a person’s sexual orientation, body image, gender, or gender identity, and would typically run a Trauma-Aware or Trauma-Informed practice.
On the other hand, LGBTQ Bodywork is bodywork that’s especially aimed at resolving somatic issues that disproportionally affect LGBTQ folks. That is, LGBTQ individuals may suffer from tensed, tight, and painful muscles or body parts just like anyone else, but they may — for instance — also have particular issues such as pain from chest binding, post-operative swelling, skin grafts from Gender Affirming Surgery, sensitivity or numbness of the genitals, and/or trauma-related tensions and constrictions (i.e. emotional Body Armouring) in specific body parts such as the jaw, pelvic floor, abdominal area, chest, or sexual organs.
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In this case, you’ll find a range of massage and bodywork treatment modalities that are particularly adequate to resolving certain issues. Think of a variety of Genital De-Armouring treatment modalities, Transformational Breathwork, Scar Tissue Remediation, Sexological Bodywork, Pelvic Release Bodywork, Breast & Chest Massage, Myofascial Release Work, and Jaw and Intraoral Massage, just to name some of much used treatment options.
It goes perhaps without saying that LGBTQ Bodywork is per definition (or should be) likewise LGBT Friendly Bodywork. In fact, in any type of health treatment (not only those aimed at resolving issues for LGBTQ folks) it’s of primary importance that a person feels welcome, respected, and emotionally “carried.” If not, a person will consciously or unconsciously put up both emotional and physical resistance to working with the therapist/practitioner or undergoing a session, making treatments very likely much less effective or even not effective at all.
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